caam4劖
Jyutpingcaam4
Yalechàahm
Definition
To pierce, prick, or stab; to bore or polish.
colloquialworkdaily actions
How it's used
Primarily used in technical or manual labor contexts involving metalwork, woodwork, or lapidary arts. It implies a precise, often repetitive action of grinding or boring away material to shape an object. While it can mean to bore, it is distinct from drilling a simple hole, as it carries the nuance of refining a surface or opening.
Examples
This jade piece needs to be polished slowly to look beautiful.
Related words
Common mistake
Often confused with 鑽 which is the general term for drilling. Use 劖 when focusing on the abrasive or shaping process rather than just making a hole.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
